To go, or not to go. That is the question.

[Melzorina]

Early morning sessions. I've always wanted to go to the 6am session for some demented reason. This weekend I find myself asking the question, of should I go, or not?

If I was to skate on the early morning session, I could skate from around 6.30am - 9.00am. I was thinking about just working on my edges and such. Nothing too strenuous. From 9.00am I would help out in the learn to skate classes, and then have a lesson at half past. Then skate till 12.00pm, have a break and go on the afternoon patch session to have my private lesson, and continue to skate until 2.00pm.

To me, that sounds like pure heaven. But I don't know wether to do it or not. I would have to catch a train at 5.48am.

Should I, or shouldn't I...?

[Perry]

Go. Early morning sessions are wonderful, because no one is ever there. And 5:48 really isn't that bad once you get used to it (I've had to get up at 4:30 to skate since I was 4...).

Staying at the rink all day is worth it, too, since there's no pressure to move on so you can finish everything. One summer I was at the rink five days a week from 7AM to 5-6PM (with breaks of course) and it was so relaxed and de-stressed.

[dbny]

Sounds like fun. If I were a morning person, and 20 years younger, I could go for it myself.

[fadedstardust]

If you're going to work for that huge amount of time by yourself, you just need to make sure you're not working on anything that you could pick up bad habits with, which means nothing that you haven't already worked on with your coach, which would kind of limit what you'll work on. Do you really have enough stuff to work on to last you 7 hours? Personally, I think that at your level, it's too much time on the ice. You'd benefit more by taking a ballet, gymnastics, or aerobics/weight training class, or even off ice jumping class, during some of this time. Skating 7 hours a day really isn't something even the elites do. Your body needs to be conditioned, not overworked. Plus you need focus- to have a reason to accomplish things within a session. If you have 4 more hours to go, your mind really won't care about landing/not landing a certain jump. I think it's a bad idea, personally, though going to sessions early is always a good idea. I just don't think it'll be of benefit to you to skate for such a long period of time.

[Mrs Redboots]

Go. You need all the practice you can get (sorry, I don't mean that rudely, but it really is good for you). Alternate working laps of edges with more "static" stuff like spins and turns (working your turns round the hockey goal is excellent for learning to control them). Get off when you feel tired and have a drink, and perhaps a snack (banana, dried fruit, maybe some chocolate).

If you find it's far too much, you don't have to do it again!

[Melzorina]

I do go to gymnastics, and I won't be working the whole time on my own. I will be having two lessons throughout the day, aswell as breaks. I won't be doing 7 hours straight. If I found myself failing to concerntrate, I'd simply retreat to the train station early.

I was thinking that I could work on edges for quite a while. It isn't too strenuous, and it's essential for all skaters, and it's important to master them, so why not spend some extra time doing them, and still do all the fun stuff later on in the lunchtime session?

[TashaKat]

When I was skating 'properly' I used to skate on early morning sessions and loved it. You soon get used to getting up so early (4.30am!).

I preferred the early mornings to any of the others and used to have my lessons on them.

You also tend to get the more 'serious' skaters on the earlier patches (adults and kids) so I always found it easier once I'd got used to the programmes and dance patterns. There were no gaggles of people in the corners having a chat about what they did last night or absolute beginners trying to get around (no offence to absolute beginners, I just think that it is scary and dangerous to be mixed in with the better skaters). I also found that I learned SO MUCH from being amongst people who were doing the higher dances, jumps, spins etc.

[stojkopanda]

Actually early morning practices at the rinks i go to are usually very busy and usually have high level skaters on them.

[Michigansk8er]

Go and give it a try! I used to skate the 6:00am session. There were 2 of us on the session. It was wonderful. It does take a few times to adjust your brainwaves so that they reach your feet that early in the morning, and to get your reaction time into a wide awake mode..........but it's worth it if your early morning sessions are not crowded.

[kisscid]

Would this be every day?
Seems like a good way to burn out. If it is only occasionally I'd say go for it. I wish I could do that every now and then
Cid

[fadedstardust]

I do go to gymnastics, and I won't be working the whole time on my own. I will be having two lessons throughout the day, aswell as breaks. I won't be doing 7 hours straight. If I found myself failing to concerntrate, I'd simply retreat to the train station early.

I was thinking that I could work on edges for quite a while. It isn't too strenuous, and it's essential for all skaters, and it's important to master them, so why not spend some extra time doing them, and still do all the fun stuff later on in the lunchtime session?

If that is your plan, then I say go for it! I know I used to skate for almost that long and I actually regressed, but I was also just hammering triples for hours on end and ended up really hurting myself. Working on edges is a wonderful, wonderful idea. Have fun!

[edit: I just saw kisscid's post, and I must concur that I think you'll get bored of skating very quickly and it won't be as fun anymore if you do it for that long everyday, especially working on MITF. But if you don't think that'll happen, do it. :) ]

[Melzorina]

Oh no! Of course I am not doing this everyday, I can't skate everyday, it's once weekly for me! It might not even be permenant, I'm just going to see what it's like, it just something that takes my fancy. Even if I don't like it, I will have tried it.

If only I could skate everyday...
However, my mum thinks that I should concerntrate on my GCSE's as all I ever think about is skating anyway and I won't do as well in school.

[Mrs Redboots]

So did you go? And how was it - an experience you will repeat next Saturday, or not?

And you may tell your Mum, if you can find a polite and sensible way of doing so, that I encouraged my daughter not only to skate during her A levels*, but to take her what was then called Novice Free test (equivalent to today's Level 1, but it was weird, more of a dance than anything else - a load of footwork elements that had to be done in waltz time) in the middle of them! It made an excellent counter-irritant. When she entered, we agreed that if she had an exam scheduled that morning, we'd ask NISA to reschedule her test - but she didn't, and passed, and got into her first choice Uni, so....

You will study infinitely better if you take regular exercise; "in my young day" they scheduled regular games lessons into the exam time-table.... wish they did that these days.

* Besides which, she had passed her driving test by then and was allowed to take the car to school if there was a good reason - taking me to the ice-rink qualified as a good reason! So it was in both our interests for her to skate at least twice a week before school..... That one, you'd better not tell your Mum!

[samba]

Wow I wish I had your enegery Melzorina, you would have to take me out in a box if I was to do half of that!!

[Mrs Redboots]

Yeah, but Samba - she's nearly 40 years younger than we are....

[Melzorina]

I'm so mad, I went to bed especially early to get ready for my big day, and my alarm didn't go off. I'm sooo mad! My plan, which has been thankfully encouraged on the whole will DEFINETLY go ahead next week, without a doubt. 6am session here I come! I shall let you all know how it goes.

P.s Thanks Annabel for telling me that, I certainly will tell my mum!

P.p.s Anyone got any teapot (shoot-the-duck) tips?

[samba]

P.p.s Anyone got any teapot (shoot-the-duck) tips?

Yes I have a tip - when you get to my age just dont do it, you might not be able to get up!!

And Annabel I can't ever remember having that amount of energy (or energery even) or perhaps it was just too long ago :oops:

Cheers
G

[Melzorina]

Haha, nice tip. I'll take that advice.
I wonder if I'll still be skating when I'm your age? (not that I know how old you are but Annabel mentioned something about a 40 year age difference, making that a LONG way away! I wonder if you'll still be skating when I'm your age?...I've just now realised you'll possibly be in your nineties. Perhaps not, eh?

[samba]

You never know, I will either be pushing up daisies or skating with a zimmer frame, I'm pretty sure if I am able I will still try to skate. Oh by the way, 55 and proud of it!!

[Melzorina]

55 isn't old at all. Get doing some teapots woman!!!

[samba]

After you!!

You certainly sound as thought you will be skating for a long long time, best of luck

Cheers
G

[Melzorina]

No no, I insist, age before beauty! :lol:

Thanks Samba! x

[nerd_on_ice]

P.p.s Anyone got any teapot (shoot-the-duck) tips?

What does it say about the differing mentalities of our 2 nations that you call this move a lovely, warm, peaceful "teapot" and we call it a maurauding, carnivorous "shoot-the-duck"? 8O

I concentrate on keeping my arms forward so that my body weight is fairly compact, and (this might just be me, but) lifting my toes up inside my skates so I don't tip onto my toe picks. And I always say to myself, "If I fall, I'm already down here!" :)

[samba]

What does it say about the differing mentalities of our 2 nations that you call this move a lovely, warm, peaceful "teapot" and we call it a maurauding, carnivorous "shoot-the-duck"? 8O

We had an American coach at our rink for a couple of years and when he asked us to do shoot-the-duck we all looked at him in horror, he had to demonstrate, then we all said "oh yes teapot" maybe it's because we like tea?

I concentrate on keeping my arms forward so that my body weight is fairly compact, and (this might just be me, but) lifting my toes up inside my skates so I don't tip onto my toe picks. And I always say to myself, "If I fall, I'm already down here!" :)

The funny thing is I think I'm really low then someone points out that my rear is in the air and its only my hand that is near the ground, I will try your points tomorrow and let you know but I think I am going to go home very wet!! :oops:

[Mrs Redboots]

The funny thing is I think I'm really low then someone points out that my rear is in the air and its only my hand that is near the ground, I will try your points tomorrow and let you know but I think I am going to go home very wet!! :oops:Tell me about it! Husband and I have this move where we are holding hands facing each other , and he's going backwards while I'm going forwards. First of all he does a teapot and comes up into a back spiral, while I start doing a spiral and go down into a teapot. The only snag is that when I see the photos - I don't count if it's Icephoto, as he always gets one in the middle of a move, but Louvain Woodmass doesn't - my free leg isn't high in the spiral, and I am sort of gently bending one knee in the teapot! Husband too - although his free leg does go higher than mine, which wouldn't be difficult!

I notice the elite dancers are now doing this exercise, but they have to go up and down several times!

Incidentally, my coach can't do a teapot at all, barely lower than me, but he has a very respectable sit-spin. He says it's to do with centre of gravity.

[samba]

my coach can't do a teapot at all, barely lower than me, but he has a very respectable sit-spin. He says it's to do with centre of gravity.

I know what you mean Annabel I have a half decent sit spin also but tried again to do a teapot/shoot the duck to-day but still cant do it.

Cheers
G

[fadedstardust]

I never understood the point of trying to master the shoot the duck. The centrifugial force you get while doing a sit spin allows you to get much lower than a shoot the duck, so I don't find them to be all that helpful in getting a lower sit spin, and after you've mastered the sit spin, what's the point of still doing them? The only high level skater I've ever seen do a shoot the duck was probably so ashamed that it was his "money" move that he renamed it- the Mike Pike (Michael Weiss). I think shoot the ducks make you look very beginner-ish but don't actually bring you anything. Except for leg cramps and wet bums. If you WANT to learn it, cool, but if you don't, there's really no reason to waste time/bother with it, or feel down about it if you can't get one- chances are you will never use them once you get to a higher level anyways.

[jp1andOnly]

my coach wants me to work on shoot the ducks so that i can get my back sit lower. I haven't got the feel of the ankle bend and the knee is weak so he suggested shoot the duck positions to help strengthen it.

This will be off ice for the most part as I don't need more of a wet bottom than I usually get

[Mrs Redboots]

If you WANT to learn it, cool, but if you don't, there's really no reason to waste time/bother with it, or feel down about it if you can't get one- chances are you will never use them once you get to a higher level anyways.Two words - no 3: back outside hydroblades. You can't do one of those without a respectable back teapot, as that's how you learn them. I agree, they aren't necessary for a sitspin, and hydroblades aren't a totally necessary part of anybody's programme - but they do add to it!

[Melzorina]

I need to learn the teapot because when I start doing my passport, it is one of the required moves.

[CanAmSk8ter]

Definitely learn a decent shoot-the-duck, teapot, whatever you want to call it, if you plan to do synchro. They're done both the usual way and in hydroblades quite a bit.

[fadedstardust]

Two words - no 3: back outside hydroblades. You can't do one of those without a respectable back teapot, as that's how you learn them. I agree, they aren't necessary for a sitspin, and hydroblades aren't a totally necessary part of anybody's programme - but they do add to it!

Oooh you are right- and hydroblades rule.

[Melzorina]

Hydroblades???

[axelgirl]

i would love to be able to skate all that time. I do skate every morning for 2 hours monday - friday and then again all day on sunday. I work so i can not skate all day. But i am working on it:)

go for it

[Mrs Redboots]

Hydroblades???You probably haven't seen them done on the sessions you go to - it's when you squat right down with one leg extended and (in free skating) a hand on the ice. For a B O hydroblade, you do a very low back outside teapot, then lean hard to the side, so that both your hands touch the ice while you finish your circle. I can't do it, I hasten to add, but I know how it's done! For a B I one, it's similar, but you lean over your free leg, rather than the other way.... I can do FI ones, but that's all.

[Melzorina]

Ohh I know what you mean now. Thanks!

[Melzorina]

Much to my annoyance, It seems that I may have to hold off the early morning skate yet another week. I appear to have pulled or strained a muscle just above my knee and it hurts when I go up and down stairs. I did it in a gymnastics class, though the teacher didn't allow time for a warm up, so I'm assuming that's why. I feel that an early morning skate wouldn't be a good idea. To add to that, I only have one ticket left and don't think I'll be able to buy another book of tickets till next week.

I'm sooo annoyed... and in pain :cry: :cry: :cry: